Is 'affordable art' really all that affordable?

By Sarah Chakales, CNN

Updated 6:33 AM ET, Tue March 25, 2014

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Photos:Hong Kong Affordable Art Fair

Living art – In a Hong Kong Affordable Art live exhibit, Australian artist Emma Hack painted a nearly nude woman to blend in with the wallpaper. Hack is known internationally for her gorgeous body illustrations. Most famously, she painted Australian pop singer Gotye and New Zealander Kimbra for the music video that accompanied hit song "Somebody That I Used to Know."

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Photos:Hong Kong Affordable Art Fair

Something for the kids' bedroom? – A bronze skull on display at the recent Affordable Art Hong Kong fair, where no piece of art could be priced at more than HK$100,000 (roughly $13,000).

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Photos:Hong Kong Affordable Art Fair

Local and international art – This piece, put up for sale at the Affordable Art Hong Kong fair by Galerie Koo, reportedly sold for HK$27,000 ($3,480). The fair featured pieces from 120 galleries and over 1,000 local and international artists.

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Photos:Hong Kong Affordable Art Fair

Wearable art – A selection of painted high heel shoes by France artist JM Robert for sale at the Affordable Art Hong Kong fair. Each pair was sold separately -- the ones in the front right went for HK$4,500 ($580).

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Photos:Hong Kong Affordable Art Fair

Under HK$10,000 – Another piece from Galerie Koo. This particular work sold for HK$4,000 ($515). The fair's "Under HK$10,000 Wall" catered to the art collector on a tighter budget.

A record 29,000 visitors came to check out the three-day exhibition -- the most in the fair's 15-year global history.

But the art on sale here is not intended to break the bank.

Affordable Art Hong Kong, a spinoff of the original event launched in London in 1999, attracts art enthusiasts from all walks -- and wallets -- of life, with original works on sale from unknowns and well-knowns at the more than 120 galleries represented from around the world.

Amid the watercolors, oil on canvas and prints, eye-catching installations included bronze skulls and a live exhibit of a nearly nude woman being painted to blend into wallpaper.

Organizers say it's up to the artists and galleries to set a price for each artwork, as long as it does not exceed HK$100,000 (roughly $13,000).

On that salary, buying the most expensive piece at the fair would cost seven month's wages, excluding daily living expenses like food, transportation and rent.

But of course, it's all relative.

Compared to Zeng Fanzhi's "The Last Supper," which auctioned at Sotheby's 40th Anniversary Sale in Hong Kong last October for a record HK$180.4 million ($23.3 million), everything under HK$100,000 seems like a steal.

Organizers of Affordable Art Fair say price is just a small part of their mission.

"The purpose is to democratize art -- to open it up to a much wider audience who wouldn't normally have the opportunity to see fantastic works on display," says Paul Matthews, director of development and global partnerships for the fair.

"People are very intimidated by the idea of going to galleries and each city we go to we help to break down those perceived barriers and get people understanding that there's art out there that they can afford -- and that art can be for everyone," he adds.

Based on the fair's success in Asia so far, organizers say they are now looking to expand into South Korea, Japan and Taiwan in coming years.

If you missed the show in Hong Kong, you can always hit the Affordable Art Fair at one of its upcoming global tour stops. It's heading to Maastricht, Netherlands next -- followed by New York, Toronto and Singapore. Click here for the full worldwide schedule.